English 11, CVOLC, Online, 21-22

Word choices in advertising are critical.  Modifiers and Author Voice are two important editing practices to learn.

A modifier is a word or group of words that describes another word

• Modifiers should be placed as closely as possible to the word(s) they modify to avoid confusion.
• The word "only" is the most commonly misplaced modifier in written English because it is so often placed carelessly in speech.
• A dangling modifier is connected loosely or not at all to the word(s) it should refer to.  As a result, it may seem to explain the wrong thing.  Dangling modifiers cannot be corrected simply by moving them to another spot; part of the sentence must be rewritten to make the correction.

Avoid trying to strengthen a word that is already strong (Intensifiers such as very, highly, extremely add nothing to words such as these: crucial, definite, fascinating, horrible, impossible, intriguing, perfect, tragic, unique, wonderful.

Active voice is when the subject of a sentence performs the verb's actions.

Sentences in the active voice have a strong, direct, and clear tone. Here are some short and straightforward examples of active voice.

• Monkeys adore bananas.
• The cashier counted the money.
• The dog chased the squirrel.

Maintain an active voice in your writing which is concise and strong rather than wordy and weak.

Passive voice, on the other hand, is when the subject is acted on by the verb. Here are some short and straightforward examples of passive voice.

• Bananas are adored by monkeys.
• The money was counted by the cashier.
• The squirrel was chased by the dog.

Can you hear the difference?

Source:  Grammarly.com